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grahame
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« on: March 09, 2024, 05:57:20 » |
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The Swanage Railway will be cashless form 25th of this month - could / should that extend to the national network? https://www.swanagerailway.co.uk/ticketsFrom the 25th March 2024 Swanage Railway will be cashless. We will only be accepting card payments across all our venues. This means we will no longer accept cash payments at our ticket offices, gift shop, our refreshment kiosks, or for on-train purchases. |
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Coffee Shop Admin, Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, TravelWatch SouthWest Board Member
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GBM
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« Reply #1 on: March 09, 2024, 07:07:01 » |
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As a bus driver, I agree, yes, cashless please.
But on our limited route, around a third of our daily takings are still cash.
What a fuss to pay in exactly at the end of a very long day.
Dislike handing our change for presented notes, scrabbling around for the shrapnell! Delaying departures.
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Personal opinion only. Writings not representative of any union, collective, management or employer. (Think that absolves me...........)  |
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Fourbee
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« Reply #2 on: March 09, 2024, 09:19:59 » |
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...and some bus companies transferring the risk to the driver for counterfeit, foreign notes, chewed up tickets etc. by effectively making them use their own money as float.
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johnneyw
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« Reply #3 on: March 09, 2024, 10:56:38 » |
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Although I voted "no", it was the closest option available to my preferred answer of "not yet".
I think it's still just a bit early for a significant but decreasing proportion of the travelling public who for whatever reason cannot or prefer not to use cards but I can see that changing.
I'm trying to remember when it was that I last paid for a railway ticket by cash....and I can't think of an instance for many years.
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GBM
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« Reply #4 on: March 09, 2024, 11:27:35 » |
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...and some bus companies transferring the risk to the driver for counterfeit, foreign notes, chewed up tickets etc. by effectively making them use their own money as float.
Yes, the onus is on the driver to make up any deficits. We were given a £20 float (repayable when you leave the company of course!). Unfortunately, it was a £20 note................ "Sort your own change out!" Most of us used our own money. I don't know what, if any, arrangements are in place for newer entrants. |
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Personal opinion only. Writings not representative of any union, collective, management or employer. (Think that absolves me...........) |
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Hafren
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« Reply #5 on: March 09, 2024, 15:08:26 » |
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I'd think of 'essential' things like public transport and food/essentials/non-specialist shops as different from a leisure destination in terms of the need to accept a range of payments. It's a long time since I last paid for a journey with cash, but there are those who need to travel but would struggle with paying with a card. Children or those with 'basic' accounts spring to mind. With prepayment cards being more widespread, it may become easier. Many young/basic accounts now come with Electron/Solo type cards which must always authorised even for transactions below the floor limit (AIUI▸ ) to prevent the account going below zero*, but even now I think there would be many situations where cash would be used out of necessity, e.g. parent giving child some cash for a journey or someone using last cash set aside before payday.
* ISTR▸ the railway historically didn't accept these, partly for consistency because it was impractical for on-train purchases. With modern technology perhaps things have moved on now.
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johnneyw
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« Reply #6 on: March 09, 2024, 15:43:01 » |
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Another reason to keep cash for now is for visitors from abroad. As I understand it, card payments outside of your country of residence can still be an expensive way to pay.... unless things have changed.
I don't know the actual numbers but I would guess it's more than a negligible source of revenue.
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DaveHarries
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« Reply #7 on: March 09, 2024, 22:10:43 » |
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I voted no. If I have cash I will continue to use it for everything I can. Besides the Swanage line will simply pay for the handling of each payment: is that really worth it? I think not and regard going 100% cashless as an excuse for "can't be bothered to handle it."
The French have a law called Article R642-3 which lays down that the acceptance of cash is compulsory by law and the refusal to accept coins and banknotes which are legal tender is punished by a second-class fine which is currently set at €150 (approx. £128) for each instance and I would welcome something like that over here.
Dave
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broadgage
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« Reply #8 on: March 10, 2024, 02:42:36 » |
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I voted no. If I have cash I will continue to use it for everything I can. Besides the Swanage line will simply pay for the handling of each payment: is that really worth it? I think not and regard going 100% cashless as an excuse for "can't be bothered to handle it."
The French have a law called Article R642-3 which lays down that the acceptance of cash is compulsory by law and the refusal to accept coins and banknotes which are legal tender is punished by a second-class fine which is currently set at €150 (approx. £128) for each instance and I would welcome something like that over here.
Dave
I agree, but with the caveat that accepting cash should only be mandatory for essential purchases, including groceries, utility bill payments and public transport fares. If a trendy bar wants not to accept cash, up to them, but for essential purchases I would support a legal obligation to accept cash, as in France. |
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A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU▸ is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.
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grahame
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« Reply #9 on: March 10, 2024, 08:15:56 » |
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but with the caveat that accepting cash should only be mandatory for essential purchases, including ... public transport
So - is the Swanage Railway public transport? |
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« Last Edit: March 10, 2024, 09:03:26 by grahame »
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Coffee Shop Admin, Chair of Melksham Rail User Group, TravelWatch SouthWest Board Member
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Fourbee
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« Reply #10 on: March 10, 2024, 08:24:02 » |
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We were given a £20 float (repayable when you leave the company of course!).
Unfortunately, it was a £20 note................ "Sort your own change out!"
Identical to my experience at Stagecoach. They may as well not have bothered. Of course, if drivers don't have extra funds to help the company with, that increases the chance of the customer getting a change voucher and the next driver having to sort that out and pay that in. A better approach would have been for one of the clerical staff to go to the bank, get some change and give new starters a meaningful float. |
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TaplowGreen
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« Reply #11 on: March 10, 2024, 09:17:38 » |
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I voted no. If I have cash I will continue to use it for everything I can. Besides the Swanage line will simply pay for the handling of each payment: is that really worth it? I think not and regard going 100% cashless as an excuse for "can't be bothered to handle it."
The French have a law called Article R642-3 which lays down that the acceptance of cash is compulsory by law and the refusal to accept coins and banknotes which are legal tender is punished by a second-class fine which is currently set at €150 (approx. £128) for each instance and I would welcome something like that over here.
Dave
I agree, but with the caveat that accepting cash should only be mandatory for essential purchases, including groceries, utility bill payments and public transport fares. If a trendy bar wants not to accept cash, up to them, but for essential purchases I would support a legal obligation to accept cash, as in France. "Trendy" is a bit subjective Broadgage, how are you defining it? |
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Fourbee
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« Reply #12 on: March 10, 2024, 09:24:20 » |
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I'd imagine even trendy bars would find a way to accept cash if you'd ordered a particularly large round and were unable to pay by card, but did have cash.
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Electric train
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« Reply #13 on: March 10, 2024, 10:09:01 » |
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I can understand why they would chose to go cashless.
Cash costs money to process (eg taking it to the bank)
There are expensive security measures needed
Its open to fraud.
However I suspect the main reason is the number of customers that have been pay cashless out way the number paying by cash
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Starship just experienced what we call a rapid unscheduled disassembly, or a RUD, during ascent,”
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broadgage
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« Reply #14 on: March 10, 2024, 12:45:05 » |
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but with the caveat that accepting cash should only be mandatory for essential purchases, including ... public transport
So - is the Swanage Railway public transport? Arguable either way, it is mainly a tourist attraction or leisure activity, but some customers no doubt use it as a means of transport. I am not certain that they should be REQUIRED to accept cash as not primarily a public transport service. We had however diverged somewhat onto cash acceptance in general, as in the French example. |
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A proper intercity train has a minimum of 8 coaches, gangwayed throughout, with first at one end, and a full sized buffet car between first and standard.
It has space for cycles, surfboards,luggage etc.
A 5 car DMU▸ is not a proper inter-city train. The 5+5 and 9 car DMUs are almost as bad.
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